Chapter Thirty-Three

Jasmine’s POV

While the ceremony took place, I was with Nana, Lena and a few other she-wolves helping set up places for the newly shifted werewolves for when they returned from their first hunt.

Since I was indoors during the ceremony, something I knew for certain was planned by Regan to keep me out of any possible harm’s way, I watched the proceedings from one of the widows of the pack house not too far away.

I had gone to the stream that morning with Lena to take a cool bath after my morning session with Luke. And even though I was sore all over, it was nothing compared to the pain I had experienced when I had started.

It was now a feeling I welcomed in fact.

I handed over the pile of black and red robes that the newly shifted werewolves were to change into when they returned from the hunt to one of the young she-wolves working with us.

Her brother was one of the newly shifted werewolves and she had been noticeably anxious about his return.

“It will all be fine, Amy”, I told her.

She was one of the she-wolves that had accepted me since I arrived at the pack. Though young, she was always friendly and welcoming to me and had not changed her attitude towards me when it had become known that her Alpha was going to make me his mate.

Instead, she had been one of the first werewolves to congratulate me and wish me well.

She also helped out with her mother at the healing house sometimes and I had grown quite fond of her.

However, for some reason, I had never met her brother. It was not the first time she had spoken of her brother but she was a quiet girl by nature and didn’t speak much, so it was near impossible to get much information from her.

She simply nodded at my words of encouragement but said nothing before leaving to place the robes at the expected position.

We were about seven she-wolves altogether and the others were busy outside behind the pack house where the pack was to have a celebratory Supper when the warriors returned.

Tables and chairs had been set up beautifully so that we could all dine under the full moon.

I had come into the store room of the pack house with Amy to get the ceremonial robes before going out but I lingered for a while after she left, taking in the other ceremonial materials before slowly making my way out and shutting the storage door.

As I walked through the hallway, I suddenly felt a presence behind me and turned immediately to see a particular she-wolf I had been ignoring.

Sooni.

“Sooni”, I called. “What are you doing here?” I asked because everyone else was outside.

She walked closer to me but I stood my ground.

I did not like the gleam in her eyes as she made her way over to me.

“I did not realize that I needed your permission to go anywhere, Luna”, she drawled, almost snarling as she spat out the title.

I took a step away from her before leveling her with a look I had learnt from Lena.

“You do not need my permission to go anywhere, Sooni”, I told her, trying to maintain that calm and controlled expression. “And I am not your Luna”, I said. “Yet”, I added for emphasis so that she would get my point.

A part of me was surprised that she had approached me like that, since she had never done so before.

But at that very moment, every word and advice Lena had given me to prepare me for my role in the future fleeted through my mind.

She shot me a deadly look and took another step forward, intruding in on my personal space.

I knew she hoped I would take a step back like before, so I stood my ground and returned her glare with an icy look.

“The pack will never accept you as their Luna”, she spat. “I will never accept you as my Luna”, she hissed. “You are no werewolf”, she said.

Her words caused anger to rise inside me instead of fear.

“It is good then that I do not need the acceptance of either you or the pack”, I told her. “But you will all show me the respect that I deserve”.

She scoffed and moved away from me.

“Respect?” She mocked. “You do not deserve any respect”, she told me before coming close again. “You are weak. You cannot become our Luna”.

As if I had done it before and so knew how to handle insults from disrespectful she-wolves, I let my lips curve into a smile I was sure would anger her.

“And yet, here I am”, I told her. “Soon to become your Luna. And it will never be your choice to make”, I told her, seeing in her eyes that she knew it too.

I let the smile on my face widen into a mocking smile.

“There is nothing you can do about it”, I told her and turned to leave.

Before I could do so however, I felt her grab a hold of my arm painfully and pull me back.

Since I knew she had a wolf where I didn’t, I knew it would not be wise to gat into a physical fight with her.

Despite my training, I would loose if I did so soon.

So I had to be smart about dealing with her.

Nana always said, ‘You don’t have to be stronger, you just have to make them believe you are’, and that was how I would handle Sooni.

Schooling my expression to hide the pain from her grip, I allowed my facial features assume an intimidating look I had seen from both Nana and Lena.

Satisfied that I had gotten the expression right, I slowly looked up at her.

I saw her surprise at the lack of fear in my eyes and almost cheered. But I needed her to let go of my arm before the pain became too unbearable and she ended up snapping my bone.

I drew closer to her, another move that took her by surprise.

“Take your hand off me”, I hissed at her, infusing I enough venom into my voice. “I will not repeat myself”, I told her. “If I do, you have my word on the Moon Goddess that you will loose that hand”, I warned.

At first she didn’t look like she believed me, but on hearing the last words I spoke, she immediately let go of my arm and took a step back.

Hiding my relief behind a glare I directed at her, I gave my last warning.

“If you try this again”, I told her. “I will make sure you live to regret it”, I said and allowed a slow smirk appear on my face as I delivered my last line. “Or not”.

Seeing the look of fear flash across her face was all I needed to see to know that my lie had been convincing enough that she had believed it.

With my work done, I turned around and walked away, keeping my breathing until I had made it outside and far enough that I knew I was out of hearing range before I collapsed on the side of the pack house.

Amy found me there, panting for breath and immediately rushed towards me.

“What is the matter?” She asked in concern. “Are you hurt?” She asked.

Since I couldn’t respond yet, she pulled my into a hug and ran her arms up and down my back.

“Breathe with me”, she said and began taking deep breaths in and out.

Not knowing what else to do, I copied her breathing, taking in deep breaths when she did and letting them out as she did.

Before long, my breathing had returned to normal and the soothing motion of her hand on my back had calmed me down.

probably noticing this, she pulled away to look at my face.

“Do you feel better?” She asked.

I nodded slowly. “I do”, I told her. “Thank you, Amy”.

She simply nodded and held my arm to try to help me stand to my feet.

However, since that was the same arm Sooni had held in a death grip, I gasped in pain and pulled away.

She looked at me.

Her eyes trailed from my face to my arm before she turned to take the other unhurt arm and helped me stand to my feet.

I waited for her to ask me what happened but she did not. She simply linked my unhurt arm through one of hers and began leading me to the back of the pack house where the others were still busy setting up.

To anyone who had seen us, we probably looked like we were simply walking arm in arm, just like how Lena and I often did.

Only the both of us knew that the reason we walked arm in arm was because she was trying to support me just in case I collapsed again.

But Nana wasn’t anyone. Because the moment she caught sight of us, she waited until I had approached the table she stood in front of before immediately asking.

“What happened to you?” She asked, drawing the attention of Lena who was standing beside her.

As Lena drew closer, I felt Amy let go of my hand and turned to her.

“You should tell them at least”, she said and quietly walked away.

I turned back to Lena and Nana who looked at me with concern.

“Can we go somewhere else?” I asked, looking around at the other she-wolves around us, relieved to see that Sooni was absent.

Lena Imm nodded and went to link our arms together. Before she could touch my hand and realize what I was about to tell them, I pulled away and linked my unhurt arm through hers instead.

She gave me a puzzled look but said nothing.

But as I looked at Nana, I saw the realization begin to set in those wise and observant hazel eyes.

She said nothing though. She turned away and began leading us on the path that led to the healing house instead of the one leading to our cabin as I had hoped.

We walked in silence until we got to the healing house.

“Who hurt you?” Nana asked as soon as we stepped into the healing house, heading over to grab some herbs.

“She just grabbed my arm Nana”, I told her. “But I handled it and I doubt that she will try to do that again”, I said.

“Someone hurt you?!” Lena yelled, moving away to turn to face me in anger.

“I will not ask again, Jasmine”, Nana said before I could answer Lena’s question.

Knowing it would be useless to lie to Nana, I decided to tell the truth.

“It was Sooni”, I said quietly, looking down at my hand as Nana came over and pulled up the sleeves of my dress to reveal the bruise that started to turn purple on my arm.

“What?!” Lena shrieked in anger, her eyes flashing. “Sooni dared to put her disgusting paw on you?!” She asked.

Not knowing how else to respond, I simply nodded.

At my nod, she snapped.

“That stupid mutt!”, she shouted. “I will teach her a lesson she will never forget!” She raged. “I will rip off that arm that dared to touch you!” She swore.

“Calm yourself, Lena”, Nana said calmly, a complete contrast compared to her granddaughter’s fuming.

“Just you wait until Regan hears about this”, Lena said, no more raising her voice but no less angry. “He will have her punished severely. Oh I hope he banishes her”, she said.

On hearing her mention Regan, I finally spoke up.

“Please do not tell Regan anything about this”, I pleaded.

“And why not?” She asked.

Before I could respond, Nana spoke up again.

“It does not matter why she wants to keep it from him”, she said and began to apply a cool salve on my arm. “We will not speak a word of this to Regan, understood?” She asked shooting a look at Lena that had her nodding reluctantly.

“And as for Sooni,” she added. “You will leave her to me”.

Expecting Lena to pour, I was surprised to see a smirk slowly appear on her face instead.

“Yes, Nana”, she agreed respectfully.

Nana began to chant with a hand over my bruise and the cooling sensation intensified before it suddenly disappeared.

By the time she took her hand away, both the pain and the bruise were gone.

“Now”, she said, stands to be feet and pulling me up as well. “Let us go back before the warriors return”, she instructed and Lena and I nodded on agreement.

When we walked back to join the other she-wolves arm in arm, I was certain no one else knew of what had transpired until I caught the small smile of relief Amy gave me before she returned to her task.